Cushioned egg carton



Nev. 19, 1929. WALSH 1,736,755

CUSHIONED EGG CARTON Filed July 11.. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l a J I 1 2 i i I 10 6 WWW... 6 HlHHIlm nu...

WJM evkff Nov. 19,1929.

J. E. WALSH 1,736,755

CUSHIONED EGG CARTQN Filed July 11. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 19, 1929 NITED STATES JOHN n WALSH, or cnrcaoo, rumors, assmnoa ro sans Looxmosonunmn I com-rm, A oonronarron or rumors GUSHIONED EGG- CABTON Application fled m 11, 1927. Serial No. 204.700.

The ordinary egg carton, made of light cardboard, does not afford much protection to the eggs therein if the filled carton is set down heavily or struck on the bottom or the sides with suflicient force to break an egg in the event that the blow came directly upon the egg.

The object of the resent invention is to provide a simple an novel expedient that will not add greatly to the cost of a carton, by means of which eggs packaged 1n the carton will be efiectively cushioned.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherem:

Figure l is a topJ plan View, with a fragment of the cover roken away, of a carton arranged in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on a larger scale taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the carton closed and eggs therein, and illustrating in dotted lines the position of the cover and of the cushions when the carton is opened and before the eggs are inserted; Flg. 3 is a top plan view of one end of the open carton, on the-same scale as Fig, 2, showing the condition of the cushions before the eggs are inserted; Fig.4 is a plan view of the blank for formin the longitudinal part1- tion and the cushions; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, of one end of the blank folded and ready to be inserted in the carton, I

lteferring to the drawings, 1 represents the rectangular body and 2 the cover of a well lmown form of gg carton, namely a carton which, with tht exception of the longitndinal partition, is made from a single blank, The front wall 3 of the carton is lower than the rear wall t which the cover is attached, and has connected thereto a false top whose width is equal to that of the carton and which is provided along its free long edge with an attaching strip 4 to be secured to the rear wall of the carton. The trans When the leaves ver'se partitions 5am made by slitting the false top to produce a series of leaves joined to the attaching strip and to the front wall of the carton by triangular corner pieces 6. are swung down at right angles to the bottom of the carton, only the triangular corner pieces remain in a horizontal plane. It is customary to provide a central longitudinal partition interlocked with the transverse partitions formed by the leaves, for the purpose of dividing the in-- terior of the carton into two rows of compartments. In accordance with the present invention 1 so construct this longitudinal partitionthat it provides edective cushions for the eggs.

lhe longitudinal partition, with the cushioning means, may conveniently be in the form of a single blank of cardboard or the like comprising two central panels 7, and 8, each having approximately the sha e of the ordinary single partition, these pane s or sections being symmetrically disposed with respect to a longitudinal center line, together with cushioning wings. As is usual in these longitudinal partition members, slots 9 are cut inwardly through those edges of the sections 7 and 8 that are the lower edges of the partition when the latter is set into thecarton. These slots'may be said to divide the lower marginal portion of each section into feet. The wings are in the form of extensions 10 to the feet; each wing being of such a width as to fit readily between two adjacent transverse partitions in the carton.

The blank may be scored along a central longitudinal line 11 and along lines 12, 12 that mark the lower edges of the partition panels proper. In using the combined partition and cushion, it is folded along the central longitudinal line and the wings are then folded so as to extend outwardly in opposite directions from the double walled partition -as shown in Fig. 5. If desired, the panels l and 8 may be glued or otherwise secured together when lying against each other.

When a carton is to be filled, it is opened up in the usual way from a collapsed condition and the transverse leaves or partitions cushioning wings and causing them to snap down underneath the triangular corner PlGCBS' to be packed are s orter. than theheight of are swung down so as to stand at right angles to the bottom. The longitudinal partition, in the condition shown in Fig. 5, is then pressed down and interlocked with the transverse partitions in the usual way, permitting the cushionin wings to extend diagonally upwardly an outwardly above the top of the carton as shown in Fig. 3 and in dottedlines in Fig. 2. The eggs, such as indicated at A, are placed in the carton, bending the cushioning wings more or less. When the cover of the carton is swung down it depresses the eggs, still further bending the 6 on the transverse partitions of the carton. Thereafter, even though an egg be lifted from its compartment, theunderlying cushioning wing cannot spring up so as to proj ect above the false top of the carton, because the triangular corner piece that overlies the free end of the wing acts as a stop to limit the upward movement of the free end of the wing.

The parts are so roportioned that the eggs spring-like supports. Furthermore, a light blow that would otherwise still be suflicient to crack an egg, against the side of the carton, is absorbed by the inward yielding of the side wall, either wholly or in part, before being transmitted to the egg lying inwardly from the point at which the blow is struck; and therefore the egg is protected against breakage. i

It will further be seen that my improved construction gives added strength to the carton, not only because of the stifi backbone that the double longitudinal partition may be pended claims.

said to constitute, but also because the wings may fit between the transverse partitions and thus form braces for the latter.

While I haveillustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the ap- I claim: -1. In combination, a container, a vertical partition therein, and a resilient art1cle-suption.

porting element extendin from the lower end of said artition upwar and outwardly to and sli ably engaged with container, 1

2. In combination, a container, a vertical partition of resilient material therein, said partition having an extension directed upwardly' and outwardly from its lower end to and in sliding engagement with a side wall of the container.

3. In combination, an egg .carton having avertical longitudinal partition and a vertical transverse partition, and wings on the longitudinal partition extending from the lower end outwardly. and upwardly to and slidably engaged with the sides of the carton.

4. In combination, an egg carton having a vertical longitudinal partition and a vertical transverse partition, and wings on the longitudinal partition extending from the lower end outwardly and upwardly to the sides of the carton, said wings bemg of a width to fit between and brace the transverse partitions and fitting slidably at its upper.

a side wall of the ing of a sheet folded in the middle and along two lines on opposite sides of the middle, the two central sections forming the partition proper of double thickness and the two side sections extending upwardly and outwardly to the sides of the carton in the vicinity of the top of the carton.

6. In combination, a carton having vertical transverse partitions, and a longitudinal partition interlocked with the transverseapartitions, said longitudinal partition comprising a sheet folded upon itself and having wings extending from the lower end of the partition upwardly and outwardly to and slidably engaged with the side walls of the carton between said transverse partitions.

7. In combination, an egg carton having partitions dividing it into compartments, and yieldable false bottoms for said compartments extending downwardly and inwardly from elevated points on the sides of the carton, the upper ends of said false bottoms being loosely engaged with the said sides and being capable of sliding down along the latter under the weight of eggs resting thereon.

8. In combination, a container, a vertical partition therein, and a resilient article-supporting element extending from the lower end of said partition upwardly and outwardly to and terminating at a side wall of the container, the upperouter end of said element being'loosely engaged with said side wall so as to permit it to slide down'along the latter when a load is placed upon said element.

In testimony whereof, Isign this specifica- JOHN E. WALSH. 

